Activity 1 Analysing in-programme experience

LESSON 2. MODERN APPROACHES AND INNOVATIONS TO DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE SKILLS
Objective: to raise participants’ awareness of the communicative approach to language and teaching
Activity 1 Analysing in-programme experience
Objective: to give participants an opportunity to reflect on the communicative approach to language and teaching that underlies the current programme

Time: 20 min

Materials: handouts 1 and 2 for trainer, board, markers

►Procedure:

0. 
   ☺(6 min) Show the pictures on handout 1and 2to participants. Ask the following question:
   
1. 
   
   
   1. 
      Which of the approaches to teaching how to ride a bicycle do you think is more effective? Why?
      
2. 
   Elicit random answers and then write down the following statements on the board.
   
   1. 
      Language is a set of rules that should be learnt.
      
   2. 
      Language is a communication tool.
      
3. 
   Ask participants to relate the statements to language teaching and ask the following question:
   

1. 
   Which of the pictures illustrates each of the statements? Why do you think so?
   

0. 
   Elicit random answers.
   

Suggested answer: Picture 1 – Statement 1; Picture 2 – Statement 2

0. 
   ☺(3 min) Tell participants that the approach to language a teacher believes in influences the way s/he teaches a language. Establish that learning grammar rules and vocabulary by heart might be compared to learning the names of all the parts of a bicycle, road signs, etc. but not riding itself. Often teachers only help pupils to learn everything about the language, but still pupils find it difficult to apply their knowledge in practice and communicate freely in real life.
   

Another approach to language promotes use of language for communication and therefore it can be compared to learning to ride a bicycle actually riding along the streets. A communicative approach to language teaching does not necessarily exclude knowledge about the language; on the contrary, it promotes the use of grammar and vocabulary for communicative purposes by means of improving speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
☺☺☺ (6 min) Put participants in groups of 4 and ask participants to reflect on their experience in the programme and answer the following questions:

0. 
   In your opinion which statement would the authors of this training programme agree more with? Why do you think so? Give reasons for your answer.
   
1. 
   ☺(5 min) Collect random answers.
   
2. 
   Establish that in this programme language is considered as a means of communication, therefore we are in favour of teaching grammar and vocabulary not in isolation but in a meaningful context. For us teaching language as communication also means integrating the skills in as authentic a way as possible.
   

Activity 2	Typical CLT activity
Objective:	to expose participants to a typical communicative activity
Time:	20 min
Materials:	handout 3 per participant

NB: Make sure that the chairs are organised in a circle or semi-circle.

►Procedure:

☺(3 min) Ask participants the following question:

In your opinion what would be a typical communicative activity?

Accept any answers and write them on the board.

Possible answers:

Role-play

Info gap activities

Jigsaw, etc.

0. 
   Tell participants that they will now experience a communicative activity known as a simulation. Explain that a simulation is an activity which reproduces a situation and which often involves dramatisation, role-play, or group discussion.
   
1. 
   ☺(2 min) Distribute handout 3 to participants and ask them to do the task individually.
   

☺☺☺(10 min) Put participants in groups of 4 and ask them to discuss the six candidates. Ask groups to come to a consensus and as a group decide on the 3 people out of 6 candidates and to be ready to justify their choice.

0. 
   ☺(5 min) Ask groups to share their decisions with the whole class and to justify their choice.
   

Activity 3 Principles of CLT

Objective: to give participants an opportunity to reflect on the communicative activity

Time: 35 min

Materials: handouts 4 and 5 per participant, board, markers

►Procedure:

☺☺☺(10 min) Ask participants to work in the same groups of 4 and distribute handout 4. Ask participants to reflect on the previous activity and the whole programme and answer the questions given in the handout in Task I.

Possible answers:

Yes, because the task was interesting and meaningful. Yes, I had to make a decision so I had a purpose to communicate. Yes, I might encounter such a situation in real life. In reality we often have to make a choice and be able to justify it. We worked first individually, then in small groups, then in a bigger group. Individual work helped me to make my own decision and formulate my arguments. In small groups I had an opportunity to share my ideas and listen to others. If I had not thought individually before the small group interaction I might have been influenced by the opinion of others. Besides small groupwork allowed all participants to speak. The classroom was arranged as a semi-circle; this helped us to see each other’s faces and interact freely. No, we have chosen the language ourselves, as it was spontaneous speech. In the activity what we said was more important than how we said it. No, the trainer did not correct our mistakes, but he/she could correct our mistakes at the end of the activity

☺(5 min) Elicit random answers. Summarise the points mentioned by the participants and draw principles of CLT on the board based on the answers:

0. 
   
   

   Main principles of CLT Interactive mode of work (group work, pair work) Natural and spontaneous (free) use of language Meaningful communication Meaning has primacy over form Balance between fluency and accuracy

1. 
   
   
2. 
   ☺☺☺(5 min) Ask participants to stay in the same groups as above and distribute handout 5.
   

☺(5 min) Ask participants to refer back to the communicative activities written on the board. Ask participants to check these activities against the principles of CLT and decide whether they can be regarded as communicative activities. Ask participants to tick those activities which are communicative in Task II in the handout.

(10 min) Collect the answers.

Suggested answers

Role play	All principles above apply
Simulation	All principles above apply
Pupils repeat words after the teacher	it is focused on accuracy rather than fluency; it is not a natural use of language, form of a word has a primacy over meaning, no interaction and communication
Chain story	All principles above apply
Teacher asks pupils to read a text aloud during the class	it is focused on accuracy rather than fluency; it is not a natural use of language, form of a word has a primacy over meaning, no interaction and communication
Information gap activities	All principles above apply
Pupils do exercises where they have to convert direct speech into indirect.	it is focused on accuracy rather than fluency; it is not a natural use of language, form of a word has a primacy over meaning, no interaction and communication
Jigsaw reading	All principles above apply
Teacher asks pupils to learn a dialogue by heart and retell it	it is focused on accuracy rather than fluency; it is not a natural use of language, form of a word has a primacy over meaning, no interaction and communication
Teacher asks pupils to write a letter to their friends	All principles above apply

0. 
   Establish that role-plays, simulation and information gap activities are good examples of communicative activities and teachers should try to use them more often in their classrooms.
   

Summary

0. 
   Establish that communicative language teaching promotes a focus on communicative competence which is supported by grammatical or lexical competence. Learners use language for meaningful purposes. Fluency and accuracy are viewed as complementary principles underpinning communicative techniques.
   

Activity 1, Handout 1, Picture 1 Approaches to teaching

Activity 1, Handout 2, Picture 2, Approaches to teaching

0. 
   
   
1. 
   
   
2. 
   Activity 2, Handout 3, Simulation
   

You have been selected for the TV programme “Survivor”. You will spend 90 days on a desert island somewhere in the Pacific. You will have to find food and shelter for yourself and survive there. YOU were nominated to choose other 3 people who will live with you out of 6 candidates. Please read their profiles and decide who the best candidates are and justify your choice.

Candidates’ profiles

0. 
   Prof. Erkin Nazarov (male, 54) is an Uzbek academic from Fergana. He has carried out a research on new methods of cultivating cotton in Uzbekistan. He has been in different parts of the world and knows several languages. Besides he is a good hunter.
   
1. 
   Karomat Sobirova (female, 21) is a biology pupil. She is not married. Good cook; has a very unpleasant character – likes to quarrel with everybody.
   
2. 
   Shohruh Aliev (male, 38) is a pop star. He is handsome and very sociable. Enthusiastic about life and optimistic. Originally he is from a village in Surkhandarya. He served in the Navy when he was a young man.
   
3. 
   Svetlana Pak (female, 32) is a nurse. She is interested in traditional medicine so she knows a lot about different plants. Good cook; very talkative. She is not married, hates men.
   
4. 
   Andrey Vlasov (male, 45) is a builder. He has worked on an island in Kenya for 5 years. He knows the flora and fauna of Central Africa. He doesn’t like it when people around him are happy and joyful.
   
5. 
   Laziza Sobirova (female, 18) is a first year pupil of medicine. She wants to become a surgeon. She is beautiful, loves life and is energetic. She is afraid of the sea.
   

Activity 3, Handout 4, Reflection on the communicative activity

Answer the following questions:

0. 
   Did you feel motivated doing the task? If yes, why?
   
1. 
   Did you have a clear purpose for fulfilling the task?
   
2. 
   Is the task close to real life? Could you imagine encountering such a situation in real life?
   
3. 
   In what modes of interaction did you work (individual, group work, pair work)? Was the mode of interaction useful? Why?
   
4. 
   How was the classroom arranged? (Rows of tables with chairs, circle, semi-circle, etc.) What for?
   
5. 
   Did the trainer recommend what kind of vocabulary or grammar structures to use or did you choose them yourself?
   
6. 
   What was more important in this activity: what you said or how you said it?
   
7. 
   Did the trainer correct your mistakes? What could a trainer do if he/she notices mistakes in your speech?
   

Activity 3, Handout 5

Decide whether these activities are more communicative (C) or non-communicative (NC).

Activities	C/NC	Why?/Why not?
Role play
Simulation
Pupils repeat words after the teacher
Chain story
Teacher asks pupils to read a text aloud during the class
Information gap activities
Pupils do exercises where they have to convert direct speech into indirect.
Jigsaw reading
Teacher asks pupils to learn a dialogue by heart and retell it
Teacher asks pupils to write a letter to their friends